The aim of this study was to analyze insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) serum level in pediatric patients with cancer compared with pediatric patients with nononcological diseases and to assess the relationship between IGF-I and nutritional status of oncological patients. From January 2009 to July 2012, we assessed 151 consecutively hospitalized patients in a tertiary emergency pediatric hospital. The patients were divided into two groups: group I, consisting of patients with malignant diseases (64 patients), and group II, the control group, consisting of 87 age- and gender-matched patients with different pediatric diseases. The anthropometric parameters (weight, height, body mass index, middle upper arm circumference (MUAC), and tricipital skinfold thickness (TST) and biochemical parameters (proteins, albumin, and total IGF-I) were comparatively evaluated at the diagnosis and after intensive chemotherapy in the malignant group. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters in group I were significantly different from those in group II for height, MUAC, TST, total proteins, and albumin (p < 0.05). Twenty-five out of 64 patients with malignant diseases and 5 out of 87 patients in the control group had malnutrition. IGF-I in patients with cancer was much lower than in the control group (median 48.3 ng/ml, range 25.00-662.00 ng/ml vs 129.00 ng/ml, range 25.00-745.00 ng/ml) (p = 0.014). We found a positive correlation between IGF-I, MUAC, and TST at the diagnosis of the malignant disease. Also, we identified positive correlations between IGF-I, protein, and albumin. Serum IGF-I levels in cancer patients were significantly lower at diagnosis than after chemotherapy (48.3 ng/ml, range 25.00-662.00 ng/ml vs 110.0 ng/ml, range 25.00-573.00 ng/ml; p = 0.04).
Conclusion: IGF-I seems to be an accurate biochemical parameter used in malnutrition assessment of children with cancer. IGF-I correlated with the anthropometric parameters of the arm, serum protein, and albumin. These parameters most accurately characterize the nutritional status.